Strong momentum continues for Joules as sales rise 23% over Christmas

On one of the best days for UK retail updates in recent months, British fashion and lifestyle brand Joules became the third company to report a strong Christmas on the fashion front on Wednesday morning.

Sainsbury's had said its Tu clothing brand soared, while House of Fraser also reported higher festive sales. And Joules revealed a strong performance with a 22.8% uplift in sales during the seven weeks to 8 January.

Photo: JoulesThe increase follows a strong first half for the brand, which is known for its colourful collections of country-inspired clothing, accessories and homewares.

"This strong outcome over the important Christmas trading period reflects the growing awareness and strength of the Joules brand,” said CEO Colin Porter.

The brand said its retail gross margin rate for the Christmas period is expected to be a little ahead of the prior year, and that the results reflect continued growth across the store and e-commerce channels.

In the first six months of the fiscal year, ended 27 November 2016, Joules increased its revenue by 16.2%, helped by an increased retail presence, growing customer base and the strong performance of the wholesale business.

The business has 107 stores in the UK and Ireland and operates wholesale accounts in North America and Germany, which are supported by dedicated websites for each market.